​ Los Californianos By Laws, Article II states that one of the purposes of Los Californianos is "to provide an accurate and authentic interpretation of Alta California’s history," which shall be an objective of this committee.

Los Californianos By Laws, Article VIII, section I c(2) states, "The Heritage Preservation Committee is responsible for discovering and investigating sites and structures deemed worthy of preservation as historical landmarks, and any other projects of recognition or preservation."

Heritage News:California State Standards for Social Studies

A review of the California Standards and Curriculum for 4th-graders (Sept. 2017) revealed item 4.2. "Describe the social, political, cultural, and economic life, and interactions among people of California from pre-Columbian societies to the Spanish Mission and Mexican Rancho periods." The importance of the above objective for 4th-grade students was made clear in an article in the San Francisco Chronicle newspaper of August 30, 2017. The New Social Science Network, a team of educational researchers located at the University of California, Davis Campus, came out against the model mission building projects done by 4th-graders for many years. Executive Director Nancy McTygue asked, "What are students learning by building model missions? I don’t think the model mission project has taught anything about the period and is offensive to many. Attention should focus on the daily experiences of missions rather than the building of structures themselves." In 2016, a course program was given to school districts. Teachers are now adapting curriculum and class materials. A spokesperson for the San Francisco Unified School District commented on the amount of documents he had received. "There are an immense number of events to be reviewed." Internet: www.californiastatestandardsforsocialstudies.com

Los Californianos has a fund set up to provide an opportunity for members to make donations in memory of thedeceased Los Californianos members, friends of history, and our ancestors. Money donated to this fund is given to causes helping to preserve our heritage. The fund was started in 1997. Ramona Baro was the first person memorialized. She had been a very active member and was slated to become president. Health concerns forced Ramona to resign before taking office. Betty Watts had been elected vice president. Instead, she suddenly found it necessary to assume the office of president. When Ramona passed away, Betty and her husband Bob, made a donation to Los Californianos. They stipulated that it was in memory of Ramona Baro and was to be used for the preservation of our heritage. The donation and any similar future donations were to be placed in a separate account to be used at the discretion of the Heritage Preservation Committee. Since that time, several donations have been made to the Heritage Preservation Memorial Fund, and a few small contributions have been made from this fund to good causes. These have included a donation to the legal fight to save the Juana Briones home in Palo Alto, a donation toward the restoration of the Castro adobe near Watsonville, and a donation toward the expenses of the Anza Trail Riders participating in the Rose Bowl Parade. Those wishing to support this activity are encouraged to send donations to the Treasurer specifying the Heritage Preservation Memorial Fund. If the donation is in memory of an individual, please provide the name of the person being honored. Checks should be made out to Los Californianos and sent to the Treasurer at PO Box 1633, Ventura, CA 93002-1633.

Mission 2000

"Mission 2000 is a searchable internet database [http.nps.gov/tuma/search.cfm] of Spanish mission records of the Pimería Alta (Southern Arizona and Northern Sonora, Mexico) containing baptisms, marriages, and burials from the late 17th century to the mid-19th century." Mission 2000 home page About the year 2000, the late Donald T. Garate, Interpretive Historian, National Park Service, at Tumacacori National Historic Park, Arizona, led a group of Los Californianos members on a tour of Sonora and Sinaloa, Mexico, and Arizona. While visiting the San Miguel de Horcasitas Mission Church in Sonora, they made a tremendous discovery. They found books in a scrap pile on the floor of the sacristy. They were heretofore unidentified historical registers of the mission. The records were copied by the Park Service and the Mormon Church. As of 2017, about 60,000 events have been transcribed and translated. (Per phone conversation with Gabby Cook, NPS.Tumacacori AZ, Sept. 11, 2017.) The database is a very valuable tool for researchers. Facsimiles of original documents, surname information, place names, and tips on reading Spanish language documents can be obtained through directions in the HELP area. Some of the historical subjects covered: baptisms in large numbers, epidemics, Franciscan priests, Jesuit priest expulsion(1767), expeditions of Juan Bautista de Anza to Alta California, Apache attacks, an annotated bibliography of the Tohono O’ O odham (Papago Indians),Culican marriage records, and the Pima uprising of 1751.